Game Fish Tagging Program was assisted by the 

 International Game Fish Association and the De- 

 partment of Fisheries, Mexico. 



The State of California, Department of Fish and 

 Game also participated in a cooperative tagging 

 program for billfishes (striped marlin and sailfish) 

 from 1965 through 1970 with the assistance of ang- 

 lers representing the Oceanic Research Institute, 

 San Diego, California. 



The importance of the istiophorid billfishes, such 

 as striped marlin (Tetrapturus audax) and sailfish 

 (Istiophorus platypterus) in the eastern Pacific, 

 blue marlin (Makaira nigricans) about the Hawaiian 

 Islands (Strasburg, 1969), and black marlin 

 (Makaira indica) off Queensland, Australia and 

 throughout the Pacific, as species on which valu- 

 able sport fisheries are based upon, is well known. 

 In addition to an extensive sportfishery, these 

 species also assist in supporting an extensive com- 

 mercial longline fishery throughout the subtropical 

 and tropical Pacific. 



The cooperative billfish tagging programs in the 

 Pacific were developed to obtain an adequate un- 

 derstanding of the migratory patterns of billfishes so 

 that ultimately the stocks can be properly managed. 

 The migratory patterns of billfishes in the Pacific 

 are little known. These fishes are caught in quantity 

 primarily with hook and line, either by longlining or 

 by rod and reel. Use of the more efficient longline 

 gear from a research vessel for the purpose of tag- 

 ging and releasing of billfishes would be costly, and 

 in excess of any funds now available for billfish 

 migration studies. The aid of the marine game fish 

 angler was requested and to date the cooperative 

 tagging programs have accounted for nearly all the 

 billfishes tagged in the Pacific. Bayliff 2 reported 

 tagging of billfishes by research agencies such as 

 the National Marine Fisheries Service, Honolulu 

 Laboratory and the Kanagawa Prefectural 

 Fisheries Research Station in Japan. In 1968 the 

 Honolulu Laboratory tagged 44 striped marlin, 1 

 blue marlin, and 10 shortbill spearfish. The 

 Japanese Research Station reported tagging 33 

 striped marlin, 3 blue marlin, and 73 broadbill 

 swordfish (Xiphias gladius). No returns were re- 

 ported from any of these taggings. 



By furnishing tagging equipment to marine game 

 fish anglers who have an interest in the rational 

 conservatio n of the billfish resources, substantial 



2 Bayliff, William H., et al. 1972. Second interim report of the 

 Working Party on Tuna and Billfish Tagging in the Pacific and 

 Indian Oceans. FAO, unpublished. 



numbers of billfishes can be tagged in areas of in- 

 tensive sportfishing for a relatively modest cost. 

 Marine game fishermen have been encouraged to 

 tag and release billfishes through information in the 

 form of written requests, talks before billfishing 

 clubs, posters, and brochures. In addition, posters 

 requesting both sport and commercial fisheries to 

 return tags and advising of a reward are distributed 

 in both the Spanish and Japanese languages. 



The major geographical locations of cooperative 

 tagging have been about the tip of Baja California, 

 Mexico; Mazatlan, Mexico; and Cairns, Australia. 

 Other locations where lesser numbers of tagged fish 

 have been released are off southern California and 

 the Hawaiian Islands, U.S.A.; Manzanillo and 

 Acapulco, Mexico; Pinas Bay, Panama; Salinas, 

 Ecuador; Tahiti; and New Zealand. 



MATERIALS AND METHODS 



The large size and active nature of billfishes re- 

 quire a tag that can be applied while the fish remains 

 in the water. Dart tags were selected because they 

 could be used effectively by billfish anglers inex- 

 perienced in tagging fish. All tagging, with the ex- 

 ception of a few striped marlin and swordfish, have 

 been on hook and line caught fish. Some surface- 

 swimming billfishes have been free-tagged by har- 

 pooning with a dart tag. 



Four types of tags were used by the cooperative 

 programs. The California Department of Fish and 

 Game used the single nylon barb tag with yellow 

 polyvinylchloride tubing bearing the legend, type 

 FT-1 (Fig. 1A). The National Marine Fisheries 

 Service's cooperative program used four types of 

 dart tags: (i) In 1963 a number of type "C" tags 

 (Fig. 1C) were issued. These tags had a stainless 

 steel tip with yellow polyvinyl tubing for the legend 

 and were similar to the type of tags used by the 

 Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution program in 

 the late 1950's and early 1960's. (ii) The FT-1 (Fig. 

 1 A) with a slightly enlarged base on the dart head to 

 prevent the tagging applicator tube from shearing 

 the barb when pressure is applied to insert the tag 

 into the billfish. This tag was recommended for tag- 

 ging sailfish. (iii) A larger double barbed nylon tag 

 FM-67 (Fig. IB) with yellow polyvinyl tubing for 

 information was used from 1963 to 1971 . (iv) In mid- 

 1971, the stainless steel dart tag, type "H" (Fig. 

 ID) was introduced. This tag has a nylon, 

 monofilament line extending from the stainless steel 

 barb with a yellow polyvinyl tubing sleeve over the 



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